3X3

After our instructors informed us of the importance found in our design research--how it would either hang from our necks like an albatross (forever) or propel us out into the world of everything ever (for a day or two)--we were asked to choose three words and provide three images for each of those words.

Mine were:

Locus

Agency

Firmitas

The images for each word:

Locus:

Smithsons' House of the Future

Venice, Italy San Marco Piazza

St. Louis, MO Busch brewery

Agency:

Firmitas:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The words together spoke to my initial search for ideas. They orbit around something in which a locus within the city may be acted upon with some form of agency. The continuity of a building's life in the city with different actors of different times moving around and within it. Ideas about participation, activity and stability.

Obviously they are loaded terms and loaded images but I feel that beginnings should have strong ideas which may be refined and critiqued as I move through a project.

At the time my mind still felt an impression from the lack of architecture's presence or voice in the Occupy movement, the classes I had taken in the past year--Metabolic Cities, Community Development in American Cities, American Architecture Culture since 1945--and the Alberti Program. It also didn't hurt that my project for the New Orleans studio with Professor Derek Hoeferlin from the previous semester had a strong tilt towards public participation.

We also were asked to write a short paragraph, though I seemed to have conveniently not archived that particular document. Sadly there are many more archived writings to come which are equally embarrassing. For the sake of honest process, I will post them.

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About this Blog

I will chronicle my design research and degree project, providing commentary on my though process at the time. From there, I will transform the body of work into a book which seeks to place into dialogue the two (currently) separated semesters of work.